Advertising sign holder for vehicles



April 18, WW G. J. BRUNS ADVERTISING SIGN HOLDER FOR VEHICLES Filed Jan.14, 1946 IN V EN TOR.

5 H U r F "D N R J m 8 T A OJ y e c K I Y 8 Patented Apr. 18, 1950ADVERTISING SIGN HOLDER FOR- VEHICLES George J. Bruns, Kansas City, Mo.,assignor to Yellow Cab Company of Missouri, Kansas City, Mo., acorporation of Missouri Application January 14, 1946, Serial No. 641,023

- This invention relates to the art of display advertising and has forits primary aim to provide a holder for signs, which holder isconstructed to permit quick and easy interchanging of the copy bearingsheet and to allow mounting the same in a suitable position where thesign is held in view.

One of the important objects of this invention is to provide anadvertising sign holder for vehicles capable of being mounted on a partof the vehicle body and constructed to allow interchange of the signpanel without removal of the holder from its mounted position.

Further and very important objects of the invention are to provide anadvertising sign holder capable of quick attachment to a vehicle body;having means for receiving and retaining an initially planar sign pane;having an unique frame that is sectional in character to allowcomparatively inexpensive reconditioning of the holder in the event ofdamage thereto; and equipped with rugged adjustable anchoring elementsfor securing the entire sign assembly to the vehicle as a unit.

Other aims of the invention will appear during the course of thefollowing specification referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of an advertising sign holder forvehicles made in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 11-11 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view on an enlarged scaletaken on line III-J11 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view taken on line IV-IV ofFig. 2.

In the form of the invention chosen for illustration the numeral ldesignates a backing member formed of sheet material that is laterallyoffset at its periphery to present a continuous flange l2 forming acavity l4 within which the sign sheet l6 rests when such a sheet is inplace for display. Flange I2 is angular in transverse cross section toprovide a continuous shoulder i8 against which the edge of sign It willengage when the sign is confined within cavity l4.

Backing member I6 is strengthened by a plurality of embossed ribs 20disposed substantially as shown in Fig. 1 for the purpose of permittingthe attachment of the sign holder to a portion of the body 22 of thevehicle. These ribs 26 have a number of perforations 24 to receiveanchor bolts 26 of a character clearly illustrated in Fig. 4:. Bolts 26have their heads 28 housed within 1 Claim. (01. 40-125) assembly andmounting of the sign occurs.

ribs 22 and the depth of these ribs is great enough to cause the uppersurface of heads 28 to lie below the inner surface of backing member ID.

A series of nuts is threaded upon bolt 26 when One nut 30 is drawndirectly into contact with the outer surface of member If) to maintainbolts 26 in place while the holder is manipulated for mounting uponvehicle 22. A second nut 32 is threaded onto each bolt 26 to form ashoulder against which the outer face of vehicle 22 is to rest and afterthe bolts 26 are threaded through holes 34 in the vehicle body 22, aflnal or third nut 38 is threaded onto the bolts 26 to rigidly securethe assembly in position.

Backing member [0 is further formed during the manufacture by cuttingthereinto a U-shaped slit 38, the bight whereof extends across one endof member I6 along a line spaced inwardly from said end but parallelthereto. This bight portion of slit 38 is designated by th numeral 410and the legs 42 of slit 38sextend along the two opposite longitudinaledges of member 16, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. This U-shaped slit 38therefore, defines a tongue portion 44 in member in and it is this partof member [6 that is arched rearwardly to form a mouth 46 for theintroduction of sign I6 into cavity It. A retaining frame 48 is securedto flange 12 and this frame is L-shaped in transverse cross section. Oneleg of the L- shaped frame lies directly upon the outer surface offlange 12 while the other leg thereof embraces the member lll andextends rearwardly toward the vehicle 22 when the sign assembly ismounted.

Frame 48 is sectional in character. The sections extend from a medianline on the member H) at the ends thereof around each corner to a medianline on the longitudinal sides of member lil. Thus diagonally oppositesections of frame 28 are interchangeable and the frame may bereconstructed when damaged by removing the particular corner section inneed of replacement. The sections of frame 48 have their ends inabutting relation at th centers of the ends and sides of member it and asmall splicing member 50 overlaps a portion of each of the sections andis spot-welded thereto. These splicing members 50 may be pried fromtheir normal positions if a part of frame 48 is to be replaced and aftertheir removal that part of frame 48 between two of the said members 50may be detached from the supporting flange l2 to which the frame issecured by rivets, bolts or any other suitable means. In the instanceillustrated, the frame 48 is spotwhich is printed or otherwise placed,the adver tising matter that is to becdisplayed to the. ob-. server.

The length of sign [6 is substantially the-same: as the distance betweenthe end of cavity: l'4 opposite to mouth 36 and that part of slit 38form-- ing bight it! thereof. Thus, when the, sign is-.-in-

troducecl into mouth 48 (see Fig. 2) and forced along cavity M belowframe 48, the end fi'rst introduced will enter below frame 48 at theleft end ofythe: cavity (Fig, 2). has; reachedthis said end,thexOIDPOSitB, endwill move into: cavity I4 whereupon the operator willslidesign i6 to the right (Fig.,2),,to causethe entire marginal portionof sign slfito underliethe frame-48 as itrests in cavity 14:Accidentalidisplacement or escape of sign Hi from within cavity Iz4-isimpossible due to thegformof rnouth 46. and i therelative dimensioningof the parts: as just above-set down. When the sign holderismountedi itslower edge is equippedxwithdrain openings.

52rtoein'surethat no water will collect within the lowerypartjof cavityHi.

structed and also to prevent rottingror: staining Of sign J 6.

The; conventional type of vehicle body 22 has some reinforcing thereinand therefore,1the;locatitan-20f anchor bolts ZB'must be, determinedwith respect to this reinforcing 54 as illustrated in Fig: 2., Theangularity of ribs 29 and the employ-- ment of anumber of perforations24 give-ade- When the sign panel I6 is produced Whenthei end of sign ISA number-of necessary drain openings 52 may be used; to, protect the:material from which the sign holder is con-- 4 quate adjustment andattachment of the sign holder is thereby facilitated.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

A holder for flexible normally flat advertising signs comprising anarcuate backing member for the sign, ofiset at its peripheryto form acavity at the normally front side thereof to receive the sign; anL-shaped frame secured to the periphery of the backing member andoverhanging the marginal portion of the cavity to retain the sign withinthe latter; and'a U-shaped slit formed in the'backing membenat one endthereof, with the bight of theU-shaped slit extending substantiallyentirely acrossthe backing member, that portion of the.v member betweenthe legs and bight of the U-shaped slit being arched rearwardly to forma mouth'entering the cavity, the length of the sign being substantiallythe same as the distance between the bight of, the slit and the edgeofthe cavity at the: opposite end of the ba'ckingmemv' ber, thedistancebetweensthe innermost edges'of; the; frame along thev ends of, the,memberzbeingg less than the length of the sign;

GEORGE J BRUNS:

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record-inthei file ofthis patent:-

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 522,484 Odgers, Ju1y3,- 1894989,297 Shaefer .Apr. .11, .1911 933,388 Peticore ,Sept. 7} 1 909;1,573,268 Norman Feb. 16,,19261 1,837,521 Bohan Dec. 22,1931. 1,886,352Nickerson ,Nov. 1, 1932 2,213,449 Mungen Sept. 3, 19.401 2,301,834Whaley NOV. .10, 1942: 2,305,443 Pinto Dec. 15, 19 42

